Pressure-regulator for dampers.



No. 648,622. Patented Ma-y'l, |900.*

E. K. HUTCHISUN. PRESSURE REGULATOR 'FOB DAMPERS.

(Application filed Apr. 19, mm.

2: Sheets$heat 1.

, (N6 Model.)

auoeyvboz g/ z/m 9} Grimm I No. 648,622. r Patented ma I, I900.

E. K. HUTCHISON. PRESSUBEBEGULA'FOB FOR DAMPERS'.

' (Application filed Apr. 19, 1899.)

\(No model.) 2 sneeta sha t 2.

WITNESSES /N VE N T017 1112 Maxim PETERS co. PNOTO-UTHO" wAsnmuTOH, D.c.

UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE,

EPHRAIM K. HUTCHISON, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

PRESSURE-REGULATOR FOR DAM PERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,622, dated May 1,I900. Application filed April 19, 1899. Serial No. 713,555. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EPHRAIM K. HUTCHI- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPressure- Regulators for Dampers, &c., of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a pressure-regulator fordampers and like mechanism; and it consists, essentially, of a cylinderwith a piston operating therein, the rod or stem of which is connectedwith the rod or chain attached to a damper or other mechanism to beregulated, and this cylinder has at one end a peculiarly-formed valvewhich automatioally by the pressure of steam drives the piston in onedirection, and it is so constructed that all steam or water ofcondensation will be promptly ejected after or during each operation,thereby making the mechanism perfect in all details, requiring nospecial care or attention to keep it in order, as will now be set forthin detail.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, with the cylinderpartly in section, of my improved pressure-regulator for dampers, 850.Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the operating-valve; Fig. 3, atop view of the valve-cap, showing the throttling" screw; Fig. 4:, ahorizontal of the cylinder through line of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a typicalplan of arrangement and attachment forapplying to dampers, ash-pitdoors, &c.; Fig. 6, a View of cylinder, showing the valve attached atits lower end; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing theoperation of the throttlingscrew J.

I desire in constructing this invention to so modify and simplify thevarious parts of the regulator as to greatly cheapen'its construc- -tionand at the same time maintain its efficiency.

In my former patent, No. 608,966, it will be seen that I employ acylinder in connection with which I use two operating-valves, onedesigned to move the piston in one direction and the other to controlits return movement. I find by experience that I can dispense with oneof the valves, and in so doing I can construct .a machine just asefficient without cross-heads and guides, thus making a simpler and morecompact apparatus and greatly facilitating its adjustment when put up.

The cylinder A herein is provided with a removable cap'B at its lowerend and with a stuffing-box O at its upper end, in which the piston-rodDoperates. The cylinder has near each end arms or brackets E, whereby itis secured to a wall or other object. The screwcap B or cylinder itselfnear B has at one side a vent-tube F for the purpose of draining thebottom of the cylinder. The upper end of the cylinder has at one side avent-tube with a petcock G, and directly opposite is a tube H, whichleads to the bottom of the operatingvalve I. The'tube H of the cylinderproper has therein a throttling-screw J for purposes which will bereferred to herein.

The valve I is composed of a shell open at its upper end and providedwith a screw-cap K, having peripheral notches L at regular intervals.The lower end of the shell is reduced and terminates in a steam-inlettube M, on which is seated a valve N, this valve having its upper halfdiametrically larger than the lower half, so that the larger portion ofthe valve fits snugly within the shell. Above the valve is a horizontalpartition-wall O, secured within the shell by screw-threads, so that itis'made adjustable to and from the valve N. On the lower side of thisadjustable partition is an annular rib P, against which the valve Nseats itself. Two or more holes Q are formed through the partition-rib Pfor the passage of steam or condensation.

The valve N has a stem R, which passes centrally through the partition,and the upper end of the stem has a socket which receives the lower endof a spiral spring S, the upper end of the spring being coiled around adisk T.- This disk is threaded centrally to receive a threaded stem U,which is socketed in the cap K and provided at its upper end with ahinged arm V, the free end of which is bent downwardly, so that itengages with the notches L. A vertical pin W, which passes freelythrough a hole in the disk T, enters the cap K and serves to hold thedisk T from turning when the lever or arm V turns the stem U for thepurpose of adjusting the tension of the spring on the valve N. The tubeII at the base of the shell has two ports, the lower one, X,communicating with the shell at a point below the main body of the valveN, and the other port X communicates with the shell above the valve.This tube H connects with the cylinder A, as shown at Fig. 1, at itsupper end. On the opposite side from the tube II, but above thepartition 0, is a discharge-port Y, through which the steam and water ofcondensation escape after the cylinder-piston has been operated.

In general I prefer to locate the cylinder A in a vertical position, asshown; butit is obvious that with a system of weights properly appliedthe cylinder can be placed horizontally. I particularly call attentionto the fact, however, that the operating-valve I maybe placed at eitherend of the cylinder, as shown, for instance, in Fig. 6, and the use ofthe valve at the lower end may in many cases be advantageous, and inplace of using the ordinary cord or chain for connecting the pistonrodwith the damper-arm a push-rod may be employed. It will also be notedthat I provide the piston with a stem or rod at each end, as shown at DD, Figs. 5 and 6, in which case a stuffing-box O is used in eachcylinderhead. In practice the piston should'have a jam-nut C on eachside, so as to provide clearance between the piston and thecylinder-heads.

In order to illustrate the arrangements of the regulator, I show atypical plan of connecting up the various parts in Fig. 5, in which thecylinder shows a piston-rod projecting from each end. I show therein athroat E for an ash-pit door having the ordinary swinging door F, suchas is commonly used to be manipulated'by hand. In practice such a door,particularly for locomotive boilers, is very objectionable, because thevibration frequently interferes with the operation of the door, and Ihave therefore provided a sliding gate G, which is attached directly bymeans of the cord or chain II with the piston-rod D, and I also show theupper piston-rod D connected by means of the cord or chain I with thearm of a damper J in the flue of the boiler, a weight L being used todraw the piston back. This weight is of course necessary where eitherthe ash-pit door or the flue-damper is used. I illustrate these togetherin this instance for convenience. Ordinarily when a locomotive exhausts,the pull through the flue and the ash-pit causes the ordinary form ofdoor F to vibrate, and this is impossible in the use of the slide G.

The operation of the regulator-valve is as follows: There is a constantboiler-pressure at the pipe M against the lower side of the valve N, andwe will assume that this valve has been so adjusted by the spring S thatit will rise when the pressure reaches one hundred pounds per squareinch and that the partition 0 has been adjusted so that in this case thevalve will seat when the pressure falls to ninety-nine pounds, thusmaking the limit of operation one pound. The damperarm to which thechain or cord is connected with the piston-rod D is so weighted as tokeep normally the piston at the highest limit of its stroke, the damperthus being wide open. When the boiler-pressure rises to one hundredpounds, the valve N is raised from its seat, thus admitting steamthrough port X to the upper end of the cylinder and gradually forcingthe piston downwardly and correspondingly closing the damper. Duringthis downward movement of the piston the valve is seated against the ribP. Thus no steam can escape through the-ducts X Q. When the pistonreaches the lowest limit of its stroke, the damper is closed, the firechecked, and the steam-pressure decreases. When therefore the pressurefalls to ninetynine pounds, the valve N drops and the damper-weightslowly draws the piston upwardly, forcing out the steam and condensationthrough the ports X Q and correspondingly opening the damper. Duringthis operation the use of the throttling-screwJ becomes apparent, sincethe inflow of steam to the cylinder, as well as its discharge, can be sore ulated that the closing and opening of the damper will be a gradualoperation instead of being a succession of rapid movements, and in thismanner the screw adjustment becomes a very important adjunct.

I do not relegate the use of this regulator to water or steam; but it isobvious that it may be employed wherever pressure is-usedas, forinstance, with compressed air or in the use of gases where automaticregulation is so important.

It will be noted that in putting up this machine only one pressureconnection is required and that the same pressure which operates thevalve also actuates the piston which moves the damper. Furthermore,while the pressure from the boiler drives the piston in one directionthe steam contained in the cylinder and the condensation therefrom alsodoes duty when the weight returns the piston by gradually passing thethrottling-screw, and thus preventing a too-rapid return of the piston.

The machine as herein shown is capable of being adjusted for anyboiler-pressure, and this adjustment may be made to the fraction of apound without in any manner-interfering with the damper, and theadjustments are capable of being made by exterior means on the machine.

What I claim as new is- 1. A pressure-regulator for dampers, composed ofa cylinder having a piston therein,

a valve-casing provided with a longitudinal port for connection with aboiler, an exhaustport, and two lateral ports for connection with thesaid cylinder, a spring-pressedvalve in the said valve-casing adjacentthe said lateral ports, which valve when pressed upward by the steamfrom the boiler opens communication between the boiler through one ofthe said lateral ports and the cylinder and closes communication betweenthe cylinder,

through the other lateral port, and the exhaust port, and when thesteam-pressure is lowered the valve descends and closes communicationbetween the boiler and the cylinder and opens communication between thecylinder and the exhaust-port of the valve, substantially as set forth.

2. A valve for pressure-regulators composed of a casing provided with alongitudinal portat the base thereof for connectionwith a boiler, alateral port for connection with a cylinder and an exhaust-port, avertically-movable disk in the said casing normally seated to close thesupply-port, an ad-

